Women and gents, the Nissan Kicks e-Energy. Forward of the B-SUV’s launch subsequent month (after what has appeared like an eternity) on the Kuala Lumpur Worldwide Motor Present (KLIMS) 2024, we’ve given you a full gallery and specs. Now that we’ve taken the automobile on a visit to Melaka and again courtesy of Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), it’s time to go deep.
Let’s begin with measurement. The Kicks’ 4,290-mm size and 1,760-mm width place it between the Perodua Ativa and the Proton X50 within the horizontal sense, however its 1,605-mm top makes it as tall because the X50 and barely taller than the Chery Omoda 5 and Honda HR-V. No beating the 1,635-mm tall boy Ativa, although. The Kicks’ 2,615-mm wheelbase nearly equals the HR-V; in different phrases, between the X50 and O5.
Honey, I expanded the Almera? Fairly – sharp edges throughout, V-Movement face and squinting LED headlamps. I significantly just like the facet profile, with its ‘floating roof’, upswept C-pillar kink that’s sharper than the Almera’s, and the deep swage traces alongside the doorways. Along with the related LED back lights, roof rails and 17-inch five-spoke alloys wrapped in 205/55 Yokohama BluEarths, the Kicks is a sight for my sore eyes no less than.
It’s Almera-like inside, too. You’ll recognise the flat-bottomed steering wheel (rake- and reach-adjustable), padded dashboard with contrasting-colour alternatives (brown right here), eight-inch touchscreen, half-analogue-half-digital instrument cluster, round air vents and single-zone auto air-con management panel, however after all right here you get a stubby e-Energy-specific gear lever, an digital parking brake with auto maintain, Drive Mode button and an EV mode change.
It’s a pleasant place to be – I do just like the brown bits, which you’ll additionally discover on the door playing cards and seats courtesy of the range-topping VLT, though mine may very well be an unpopular opinion given Malaysians’ penchant for all-black interiors. The tops of the dashboard and door playing cards are onerous plastic, however the brown padded bits go a way in direction of elevating the environment. Auto up/down window just for the motive force, although.
In a time when automobile interiors are trying an increasing number of like cinemas, the half-analogue-half-digital instrument cluster does sadly look outdated hat. The seven-inch unit’s graphics are positive, legible and pretty modern-looking, however fully at odds with the massive conventional speedo and its journey reset knob poking out of the glass, which reminds you of the Kicks’ age.
Preventing again the years are the very-intuitive touchscreen (with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto) and digital rear-view mirror (VLT solely) – you flip the latter on just by flicking the lever beneath, simply as you do to dim a standard mirror. This can be a B-segment-first in Malaysia.
I discover it a boon – the view could be very wide-angle and gained’t be blocked by D-pillars, rear passengers’ heads and tall objects within the boot. Even in heavy rain, though you’ll nonetheless must function the again wiper sometimes, you will note higher than with a standard mirror on the entire.
The manually-adjustable Zero Gravity entrance seats, whereas a bit slim on the thighs, are very supportive and comfy. Additionally slim is the centre console, being simply extensive sufficient to accommodate twin cupholders (with two ‘flooring’ settings to suit huge and small cups) lengthwise. It follows that the armrest field can also be slim, and opening it reveals a shallow cubby that would in all probability solely take a bi-fold pockets and a few keys at finest.
Again seat area is appropriate – no centre armrest nor rear air-con vents, however you do get two USB-A charging ports. The boot swallows a really respectable 423 litres; in case you want extra, the again seats fold 60:40, however the load flooring isn’t flat and there’s fairly an enormous protrusion on the ground the place the seats break up. Underneath the boot flooring you’ll discover a tyre restore package as an alternative of a spare tyre.
That is the facelifted first-gen Kicks that launched in Thailand over 4 years in the past (you learn that proper and it’s not the new second-gen, no RHD nor e-Energy for that but), though Malaysia now will get the second-gen e-Energy powertrain (up to date for Japan, Thailand and Singapore in 2022), which will increase the battery’s capability from 1.57 to 2.06 kWh and the variety of cells from 80 to 96.
Nissan says the second-gen e-Energy powertrain is extra compact, lighter and provides higher efficiency. Within the Kicks, which is the primary e-Energy mannequin in Malaysia, a 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine acts purely as a generator to cost a 2.06 kWh battery that feeds a front-mounted 129 PS/280 Nm electrical motor.
It’s a collection hybrid in the identical vein because the Perodua Ativa Hybrid, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV and the BMW i3 REx. Because the petrol engine by no means drives the wheels, it’s an EV the place propulsion is worried. It’s an EV with zero vary nervousness, however not zero emissions. And no, you’ll be able to’t plug it in to cost.
Unsurprisingly, the Kicks e-Energy could be very EV-like to drive – instantaneous torque and silent progress. Round city, you actually wouldn’t realise that the petrol engine has kicked in except you’re maintaining a tally of the instrument cluster – there are subsequent to no vibrations regardless of it being a three-cylinder. You’d actually should perk up your ears to listen to only a muted hum. After all, the engine wake-up is extra discernible if you’re ready on the lights, however total, refinement ranges are very excessive.
I stated it seems like an EV to drive, didn’t I? However it may possibly additionally really feel like an ICE automobile at occasions – bear with me. You recognize if you give a CVT automobile the beans, you hear the engine first earlier than automobile pace catches up? Effectively, it’s uncannily the other right here. Ground it and the EV-like instantaneous torque shoves you ahead, however a break up second later you hear the engine, and the revs correspond very intently to throttle place (like an ICE automobile) because it toils to cost the battery based mostly in your proper foot’s demand.
I have to reiterate right here that at no level is engine operation intrusive or tough within the slightest. That is no doubt the Kicks e-Energy’s high power – its quietness. Even at pace, I can solely cease in need of saying there’s zero highway and wind noise, lest somebody brings out a NASA-grade decibel meter to show me improper.
A 0-100 km/h time of 9.5 seconds is all properly and good; what’s maybe extra spectacular is its mid-range acceleration of 100-120 km/h in 4 seconds flat. Certainly, if you ask for extra energy at freeway speeds, the Kicks e-Energy merely complies, the speedo needle climbing relentlessly in a fashion you wouldn’t count on from a 129 PS/280 Nm automobile.
Let’s discuss modes. In addition to Regular, there are Eco and Sport which affect throttle response and enhance regen braking (Regular has the least quantity of regen). Funnily sufficient, EV mode, which tells the engine to not get up, can solely be engaged if you’re in Eco or Sport, however as a result of the battery is small, you’ll solely handle at finest 2.5 km of zero-emissions driving (and that’s in case you do a continuing 40 km/h and your battery is full) earlier than the engine has to intervene.
Because the system all the time tries to maintain the battery’s state of cost between 20% and 80%, how do you maximise EV-only driving? Effectively, there’s a hidden Cost mode, accessible by holding the EV mode change for 2 seconds. The engine will then come alive and keep alive till it has absolutely charged the battery.
The experience is on the snug facet of stiff, whereas dealing with, though the Kicks is mild on its toes, is probably par for the course. The e-Pedal Step is not like the Leaf’s in that the automobile will sluggish to a creep as an alternative of coming to an entire cease if you get off the throttle.
Normal security gear consists of seven airbags, AEB and Clever Driver Alertness – the highest VLT spec provides adaptive cruise management (VL will get regular cruise management), a 360 digital camera, blind spot warning and rear cross visitors alert. Warranties? 5 years/100,000 km for the automobile and eight years/160,000 km for the battery, ECU, inverter and electrical motor.
Nissan touts an NEDC determine of 21.7 km/l and a max vary of 900 km on a 41-litre tank of petrol. From PJ to Melaka, 16 vehicles coated 231 km solely on trunk roads and have been rebrimmed on the vacation spot. The drive was fairly spirited with a good bit of overtaking, and the median automobile used 13.99 litres of petrol, yielding 16.5 km/l. It was half-B-road, half-highway on the best way again, and though we didn’t rebrim the vehicles this time, my readout hovered round 15 km/l despite an excellent flip of pace on the freeway.
All in all, it’s not going to be a breeze for ETCM’s first all-new mannequin in 4 years. Even earlier than we single out the hybrid rivals (upcoming Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid RM140k estimated, Honda HR-V e:HEV RM142k, Haval H6 HEV RM140k), the B-SUV market is a really purple ocean, with some C-SUVs consuming into the pie as properly (Proton X70 RM99k-127k, Chery Tiggo 7 RM124k, Jaecoo J7 2WD RM139k).
And these are all CKD. Our Nissan Kicks e-Energy goes to come back CBU from Thailand. However who is aware of – if ETCM can in some way get the all-important pricing proper, this automobile may simply be the viable quiet, snug and handsome different the market wants.
Nissan Kicks e-Energy VLT Malaysia drive gallery
Nissan Kicks e-Energy VLT two-tone in Malaysia full gallery
Nissan Kicks e-Energy VLT two-tone in Malaysia showroom
Nissan Kicks e-Energy VL in Malaysia showroom
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